My brother has got this book and everytime I go to his place I look at it.I even remember when it came out.It is a fantastic book and I love it.That is why I have purchased a copy...

There is a nice informal picture of Prince Charles, Princess Diana, and Prince William on the front cover. On the inside cover and the next page is a family tree of Prince William's relatioship within the British Royal Family and with the Royal Families of Europe. The Prince of Wales' coat of arms which Prince William will inherit when he assumes he title.

I have had this book since its publication, I have read it many times, and I have looked at its beautiful pictures so many times. I've really never paid much attention to Prince William's horoscope which was written at the time of his birth by John Naylor, President, Federeration of British Astrologers.

The following is taken from the horoscope : "... Conservative in thought and basically cautious in action, though not without strong prejudices too. These qualities will be combined with an uncanny intuition which will enable him to read minds, anticipate actions.

"...he has a good share of courage, ambition, aggression and physical vitality, quite a temper, and a vein of foolhardiness...

"...Prince William's horoscope has the hallmark of monarchy, whereas his father Prince Charles' lacks this distinctive feature, as did King Edward VIII, the Duke of Windsor's.

"A good I.Q. and a useful academic ability is indicated, but it is an intellect which is imaginative and artistic, which inclines toward idealism and perfectionisim, rather being pragmatic, anaytical or rational...His ready sympathies and his emotionalism make him a romantic, gullible, susceptible to flattery, a 'good fellow.'

"Prince William has an affinity for the sea...Yet, more than most members of the royal family, he has intellectual capabilities. He leans towards being an academic...he could develop an interest in constitutional law...

"Not only because he is a prince, but because he has great charm, is sensitive, sympathetic and responsive as well as being full of vitality, he will wreak havoc with feminine hearts...

" The astrological picture is therefore of an affectionate, sensitive yet lively child, courageous, and possessing a vein af aggression which will flare from time to time. He will need and demand, a lot of affection and attention, being prone to vivid emotional affection and approval.

"...In maturity he will have a vigorous, active dispostion and will be capable of becoming a considerable stateman, combining keen intuition and a feel for public mood and reaction with a useful capacity for leadship...

"...Yet the most interesting indication in regard to Prince William's future occurs in the late 1980's. Both he and his mother, the Princess of Wales, are Cancer subjects...Different but comparable indications occur in the horoscopes of the other principal royals, the Queen, Prince Philip, and Prince Charles. Royal stars suggest that the second half of the 1980's the winds of change will blow through the royal corridors; the younger generation, Prince William amongst them, coming into greater prominence. Happenings in the summer of 1985 will set this trend into motion."

I included these excerpts because I believe that are most interesting in view of all that's happened to Prince William in his short life.

Shortly before dawn a royal-blue Rover police car proceeded out of the gates of Kensington Palace and sped towards Paddington to St. Mary's Hospital. There were only four people in the car - the chauffeur, the personal detective, Prince Charles, and his twenty-year-old wife. Shortly after five o'clock Diana, Princess of Wales, was admitted to the Lido Wing. For once in her twenty-one months in the glare of publicity, there was not a photographer in sight. However, it was not to reamin this way for long. By the time Buckingham Palace released the news of the princess' arrival, there was a continous, steady stream of well wishers and onlookers. By ten o'clock the fist flowers had arrived.

Within the hour after the birth of Prince William, Buckingham Palace made its official announcement. However, the news traveled faster by mouth. There were tremendous choruses of "For He's a Jolly Good Fellow" and chant variations on a footbal theme of - "Nice One Charlie-Give Us Another One."

The crowds began to swell in anticipation of Prince Charles' emergence. I can remember watching TV and wondering if he were ever going to come outside. Of course, when he emerged, it was the first time he had been seen in public that day. There was lipstick on his cheek and soon there was more. He appeared to be extremely happy as he spoke of his first-born in glowing terms such as "beautiful" and "marvelous form" and he himself was "relieved and delighted" and duly impressed by the experience of attending the birth. With warmth and concern Prince Charles thanked everyone for their interest and concern. I was almost 11:30pm when the Prince left for home at Kensington Palace.

Anyone who was watching TV will never forget the Prince of Wales leaving the hospital the next day with the glamourous Princess and their baby prince. Prince William was the first direct heir to the Throne who was born in a hospital. Princess Diana could not wait to get him home. They certainly appear to be a radiantly happy couple as they leave the hospital with their small bundle of joy. picture p. 123

I hope there is a republication of this book so that those who don't have it will be able to puchase this beautiful book.

This book is a must for all who collect books on the Royal Family or just enjoy reading about them.

This refers to the hardback edition which was published in 1982 and measures 91/4x113/4 inches.

This is a tender, loving look at Prince William and his royal heritage. There are plenty of color photographs of the royal family showing clearly the love of the proud parents as well as photographs of them as babies. This book will warm your heart and have you ooohing and aaahing within the first few pages. This is a must for anyone who is interested in the royals or anyone who loves babies. If each picture is worth a thousand words, then this book is priceless. It is a pure joy and holds the memories of a family which was dealt a tradgic, cruel blow.

Hair's deeply insightful story of one man driven to take the most desperate of measures in New Orleans at the turn of the Century (1900) will keep you home and the TV off.

Sit back, fasten your seatbelt and go back to Mississippi after the Civil War. It's a tough place to visit, you sure would not want to live there. Eianr E. Kvaran

This is a big little book well worth reading and well worth owning with a place of honor in the personal library.

Hair does a remarkable job of pulling together the obscure and little-known facts about "Robert Charles", an obscure and little-known historical figure who would have quickly made himself perfectly at home in 1960s America. More importantly, Hair's research and narrative provide a brilliant portrait of a period of American history, approaching the mystery of Robert Charles through a necessarily oblique but dead-on examination of turn of the century racial etiquette in the South; Afro-American attitudes regarding racism, self-defense, identity, militancy, and politics; state and regional economic issues; and the pathological behavior of the white victims of supremacist theories and beliefs. Although the question of who, exactly, was Robert Charles cannot be completely answered---if it could, Hair would have done it---the question of WHY did Robert Charles exist and die as he did is effectively answered through a compelling narrative that proves that history and its writing can be as exciting as any modern story of injustice, oppression, personal dignity in the face of ultimate destruction, and right beaten to ground by actual numerical, and assumed racial, superiority. Hair deserves to be honored for his detective work and meticulous research as well as his ability to make about two hundred pages do the work of some who would have said the same thing, and less eloquently, in six hundred. He should also be commended for refusing to let anything but historical facts and sound reasoning fill in the blank spaces in his history because the temptation to make assumptions in order to flesh out Charles' story must have been a consideration during the writing of the book. This is a small, well-written, rewarding examination of a historical figure and the times that he lived and died in. It's surprising to me that no one has made a movie based upon the book since it has all the drama, suspense, tension, tragedy, and action anyone could possibly hope for regarding a historical figure whose pledge to live and die like a man was a sacred vow and, perhaps, a moral lesson. For those who are aware of Robert F. Williams' place in Afro-American history, Robert Charles will be recognized both as of his time and ahead of it, helping to lay a foundation for the future struggles of others.

Considering the fact that Hair first published this book in the late 1970s or very early 1980s, I am amazed that there are so few reviewers of it. I fervently hope that the lack of reviews is not an indication of a lack of readers for this important historical work.

William Ivy Hair in this fast-paced, readable book accomplishes more in a couple of hundred pages than many of our more ponderous historians have aimed to achieve in far-bulkier works. If future historians learn to write and marshall their facts as well as Hair does here, the tales of our past will remain vivid and important to young readers of the future.

This book is an excellent source of information for anyone with an interest either in the American Civil War or in warfare in general. For the casual reader, one can find interest in the stories of Read's early career and of his swashbuckling adventures. To the historian, one can find interesting insight into the importance of sea power, during the Civil War. This concept has a sort of Alfred Thayer Mahan ring to it, who wrote about sea power as important to nations during the nineteenth century.

Admiral Dewey said "America never produced a navy officer more worthy of a place in history" and thanks to Jones he has it and we've got a great book to read! Read captured over 20 union ships and burned most of them - he was captured once, made several nearly successful escape attempts, and at one point had over 30 Union ships at sea just to try to stop him. The main part of the book reads like an action novel, but it's all real - as he moves from river warfare to commerce raiding and back, but it has a detailed, 23 page section of notes and an 11 page bibliography. So you'll learn a lot about the naval side of the war, and lots of information is there for those doing research - but read it first for the story - you'll love it!

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**Hey, SOMEBODY [Ted Turner maybe?] ought to make a MOVIE out of this! ** ======

Lt. Read's true story, captured in this well-documented & very readable biography, has All the earmarks of a great, action-packed adventure! -- This Civil War "sea story" has everything: Lt. Read graduated last in his class from the U.S. Naval Academy; he fought on the Mississippi River in various ships, including an ironclad; he raided as far north as Portland, Maine; he was a prisoner of war & made multiple escape attempts... What a fantastic story line for a movie! But this is all true!

This is a very well-written account of a heroic figure, and it's one that will hold you in suspense! (...other than the fact that you already know how the war turned out.)

Bravo, Robert A. Jones!... I like your book!

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The sonnet is one of the more difficult-to-write forms of poetry, with very strict rules on rhyming and lines, and that makes Shakespeare's collection of sonnets all the more impressive. Shakespeare sprinkled his various plays with poetry and songs, but there is something of a different flavor to these works.

Titleless, identified only by numbers, these poems have vivid metaphors and imagery ("let not winter's ragged hand deface," "gold candles fix'd in heaven's air"). The tone of the poetry varies from one sonnet to the next; sometimes it focuses on old age, to love that "looks upon tempests and is not shaken," and simple expressions that can't really be interpreted any other way. Some of it is pretty well-known ("Shall I compare thee to a summer's day?/Thou art more lovely and more temperate") but most of them you won't have seen before.

Even if you're not normally a fan of poetry, the delicate touch of Shakespeare's words is worth checking into. Fantastic.

This edition of the sonnets is one of the most important and the description on Amazon is misleading - It is actually both volumes 24 and 25 bound together so you get the complete set It's hard to find this book so it is a great find in this version

Shakespeare's amazing Sonnets are compiled here in this wonderful volume, a great addition to anyone's bookshelf. If you love Shakespeare, then this is a must-have book.

As the title indicates, West Point cadets are required to read this book (or at least they used to be when I was a cadet) to understand the role that first battles have played in American military history. The reason cadets are required to read this book is because the U.S. record during the first battle of most wars has been less than stellar. Citing examples like Task Force Smith in Korea and our first battle in North Africa during WWII, the authors expose flawed strategies, low training, and poor equipment. Many times the military enters a war completely unprepared because the normal cycle of demobilization after a conflict reduces the funding and attention our leaders pay to military preparedness. This is a fantastic book to read if you wish to understand the issues and constraints which military leaders and our country usually have to overcome following our first engagement. Given that our "first battle" in the war on terrorism has already occurred, this book could help leaders think through the issues that will be necessary to change our military readiness, as well as homeland security posture to suppress terrorism to more acceptable levels.

A must have for any military library. As a student of military history, I am rereading the book more than ten years later. First Battles is still as relevant today as it was in 1990.

Charles E. Heller and William A. Stofft assembled a distinguished team of American military history experts to examine the first major battles fought in each of the nations wars through the Vietnam conflict. This is militay history at its best, dramatic, insightful and informative, not only for an audience in uniform but also for any American interested in how the military functions in our society. The descriptions of battles ranges from well known actions such as Bull Run in the Civil War to the savage jungle fighting at Buna, New Guinea in World War II. I frequently refer to America's First Battles as I prepare my lectures on American military history. We can only hope that the editors will consider a new edition in the future to take the story through the triumph of Desert Storm, and the confusion of the Clinton administration. A military history classic.

This book conveys the words of a young Union soldier who was captured and taken to the Southern prison they called Andersonville. This detailed account taken from the diary of Charles Hopkins tells a story of survival and horror. It makes you imagine trying to survive in a disease riddened prison with barely any food or fresh water. Read this book because it will be one you will never forget

This first person account provides a wealth of insight into the day-to-day rituals of "life" in one of the most forbidding Civil War prison camps. Throughout his trials, however, Charles Hopkins never loses his faith in humanity and even manages to endure with a sense of humor. His uplifting story bears testimony to the strength of the human spirit under fire. Hopkins' style of writing is descriptive and conversational, and works well with the enlightening information and photos supplied by editors Mr. Styple and Mr. Fitzpatrick. I highly recommend this book to all who are interested in the Civil War and in becoming acquainted with one of its many unsung heroes.

The authors Whiting and Zernicke are to be congratulated for this high-quality reference book. As someone who testifies often in civil litigation cases regarding the physical mechanics of motor vehicle and premises accidents and the associated mechanisms of human injury, I found this book to be a superb addition to my technical library. For the uninitiated in injury mechanics, it begins impressively with a low-gear, historical, and introductory manner, and takes the reader though many basic mechanical concepts. The book then covers a wide assortment of human injuries and their causal mechanisms. I observed that the book is very well-formated with titles, sub-titles, text, add-in framed articles, effective anatomical line drawings, and illustrative photographs. While the book is technical in nature, I noted that it was written to be appreciated by those outside the technical area of injury biomechanics. I readily recommend this book to anyone interested in the mechanisms of human injury.

Well written and very through. Great combination of Gross Anatomy, Orthopedics and Biomechanics.

When Nelson Mandela commenced his long walk to freedom, just over a decade ago, he wanted to know whether Sir Donald Bradman, Australia's only cricketing knight, was still alive. A few days ago 'The Don'celebrated his 92nd birthday (born 27/8/08)and despite finishing his Test cricket career in 1948 is still regarded as the greatest Australian. Bradman's name is synonymous with fair play, modesty and excellence. His Test average of 99.94 per innings is double that of most other top-line batsmen (Graeme Pollock of South Africa is second, with an average of 60.97, and I deem myself as very fortunate in seeing his best score of 274 at Durban in 1970). British Labour peer, Lord Charles Williams, has written a superb book which places Bradman's outstanding feats in the context of Australia growing-up in the world. As Williams notes,the heroes of most other nations are symbolised by the warlike spirit of nationalism. However, Australia has never had a civil war or national revolution, nor has it ever been at war with near- neighbours. Thus, for Australians sport has become an integral part of politics and Aussie sporting champions achieved a status several notches higher than elsewhere.Accordingly, Bradman's deeds against an English 'army' clad in white was not to be compared to Babe Ruth's baseball feats (and the pair did meet in 1932)but rather to George Washington's victories against the British redcoats!( yes, I am exaggerating and The Don would have cringed at such suggestions but it simply helps to explain why opinion polls of today invariably rate him as the greatest Australian-not just the best cricketer or sportsman).Williams taps into the Australia psyche brilliantly and records just how important Don Bradman was to a fledgling Depression-era nation at the end of the world. Bradman and champion racehorse Phar Lap gave Australians something to cheer about as both proved themselves against the great nations of the world ( Phar Lap won brilliantly at his only start in the USA before dying in his paddock). For anyone remotely interested in Australia or cricket this book is required reading. UPDATE (27/8/01) Sir Donald Bradman would have been 93 today-but unfortunately he died on 25 February 2001, an event that almost brought the nation to a standstill, causing much introspection about the man, his deeds, and his influence on the nation.

.When Nelson Mandela commenced his long walk to freedom, just over a decade ago,he wanted to know whether Sir Donald Bradman, Australia's only cricketing knight, was still alive.As I write this review "The Don" is only one day off his 92nd birthday(born 27/8/08). Any lover of cricket, the world over, knows the name of Bradman-his name is synonymous with fair play, modesty and excellence.His test batting average of 99.94 runs per average is almost double other quality test batsmen.(I consider myself fortunate in seeing the second best, South Africa's Graeme Pollock,average 60.97, make his best score of 274 in Durban in 1970). In fact Bradman only needed to make 4 runs in his last test innings to average a 100-instead he was out for 0-one of the few 'ducks'of his career. British Labour peer, Lord Charles Williams,has written a superb book which is as much about Australia as it is on our nation's greatest sportsman.Williams places Bradman's great feats in the context of Australia growing up in the world. As Williams notes, the heroes in almost every other country symbolised the spirit of warlike nationalism. However Australia has never had a civil war or revolution, nor been at war with her near-neighbours.For Australians sport became an integral part of politics and sporting champions achieved a status several ranks higher than elsewhere. Thus, Bradman's deeds against an English 'army'clad in white,were akin not to Babe Ruth's baseball feats (and the pair did meet) but rather, as significant as George Washington's victories against the British redcoats!! Even today, many years retired, Bradman is always rated as the greatest Australian in opinion polls ( not just the best sportsman).Williams taps the Australian psyche brilliantly, particularly the Depression era where a fledgling nation, at the end of the earth, needed heroes. The two 'stars' who provided the boost to national confidence in those dark days are still remembered as Australian icons-'Big Red' (the champion racehorse Phar Lap, who died in the USA after brilliantly winning at his only American start)and Don Bradman. For anyone remotely interested in Australia and cricket this is a must-read.

Buffalo Jones had to deal with horrible weather, a pack of wolves, and other difficulties in his quest to capture buffalo calves. The clever way he outwitted the wolves adds a surprising twist to an exciting story. Especially good for readers 8 to 12 who like true adventure, but older readers (including adults) will enjoy it, too.

Fast-paced and colorful, this book describes one of Jones' expeditions in which he captured buffalo calves to create a captive herd and preserve the species. The difficulties Jones had to overcome make exciting reading, especially the ingenious way he protected the calves from wolves. Great for ages 7 to 10, but older and younger folks will enjoy it, too.